No element of fraud in helicopter maintenance payment - IGP

There is no element of fraud over the issue of overpayment for the monthly maintenance of Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) helicopters, as revealed in the Auditor General's Report (AGR) Year 2019 Series One, said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador.

According to him, PDRM was not responsible for the payment and it was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs, and was settled based on a contract.

He said, PDRM had also given an explanation regarding the monthly payment of the helicopter to the National Audit Department, previously.

"From what I was told, based on the contract, the maintenance company agreed to give a 25 per cent discount to only three helicopters, while the maintenance charge of the fourth helicopter must be paid in full by the government," he told reporters after officiating an All-Malaysia Meeting of the Heads of the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (KJSJN) Number: 3/2020, here, today.

Abdul Hamid said he would also ask for further clarification from the National Audit Department on the report, as PDRM had explained about the full payment of the helicopter maintenance charges, which were made earlier.

"When this matter was raised in the report, it showed as if PDRM was negligent," he said.

AGR Year 2019 Series 1 presented on Monday revealed that PDRM had made a surplus payment of millions of ringgit for the maintenance of several inactive helicopters.

The report stated, that Clause 15.2 in the maintenance service contract stated, that after six months of helicopter inactivity, the fixed monthly helicopter maintenance fee charged for one helicopter, would be reduced by 25 per cent.

-- BERNAMA